Welcome to part three of our series on fantasy sub genres. If you missed part one or part two, click here.

I’m endlessly fascinated with the rainbow of fantasy stories, as varied as the people who read them. I assume you are too, or you probably wouldn’t be reading this right now. So let’s dive in.

Please check out Worlds Without End, where I did the bulk of my research for this series. It’s a great site.

Juvenile Fantasy

Pretty self-explanatory, juvenile fantasy is fantasy written for a younger audience. Young adult or children’s fantasy. I’m often drawn to this sort of fantasy, to be honest. There’s just something great about a coming of age tale. Even though I’m quite of age now.

I’m sure I probably don’t have to list juvenile fantasy books, but here it goes anyway. Harry Potter by JK Rowling, Spiderwick Chronicles by Holly Black and Tony DiTerlizzi, and Chronicles of Narnia by CS Lewis.

Low Fantasy

While most fantasy is beautiful and bright, showcasing the best and brightest heroes and worlds, low fantasy is, well, a bit darker. It’s the seedy back allies, dirty city guards, drug addictions and whores. It’s an aspect that I’m starting to explore in the second book in my new trilogy, and it’s one that I would love to see more of. Not because we want to romanticize that sort of life, but because it’s an honest part of our world. There are slums, there are drug addicts. There are homeless people and dark places where no one cares about their neighbors. Magic won’t fix those problems. I like that. Again, it’s honest. And writing, even when it’s fantasy, should be honest.

Some examples of low fantasy include American Gods by Neil Gaiman, Mortal Instruments by Cassandra Clare, and Skin Trade by Laurell K. Hamilton.

Magical realism

I love magical realism, it’s what started my Woven series. Magic is simply part of the world, woven right into the existence.

Of course, Woven is an example, but so is Circle of Magic by Tamora Pierce. Another good example is The Immortalists by Chloe Benjamin.

Mythic fiction (fantasy)

Another sub genre based on already set up worlds, mythic fiction fantasy is based on old mythologies like Greek, Roman and Nordic gods. Obviously, there are some traits of this in my books.

Some examples of mythic fiction are Anansi Boys by Neil Gaiman, Percy Jackson the Lightning Thief by Rick Riordan and The Mists of Avalon by Marion Zimmer Bradley.

That’s it for this time. We’ll be wrapping this up on Friday, stay tuned.

After years of war between Montelair and Septa, the two thrones are united by family. Victor’s nephew, Morgan, is sharing the throne with the last heir of the royal line, Jacob. He and Lenore decide to travel to Montelair with their newborn daughters to help broker peace.

But peace among their own people is harder to achieve. The city is tormented by a terrorist who calls himself The Tinker. He and his group of anarchists plant bombs through the city and call for the death of the new kings from every street corner.

Meanwhile, in Calistar, Sultiana and Devon are marching to war with Kussier. The ancient hatred between the two countries is sprung anew when Sultiana is declared heir to the Calistar throne.

Waiting at the border, though, is a much darker enemy. A force from legend threatens to consume both countries, and possibly the world.

Get it now on Amazon or Smashwords

Welcome to part two of our review of Fantasy sub genres. For part one, click here.

The different fantasy genres are as varied and complex as the people who enjoy them. And as a fantasy writer, I find them endlessly fascinating. I hope you do, too.

And please check out the website Worlds Without Ends. Their site provided the bulk of my research. While I don’t usually do this, I will point out they’ve got a Patreon page.

Fairytale fantasy

A fairy tale story is one that strongly uses what would be considered fairy tale motifs. Poisoned food, magic talismans, wicked witches, bubbling streams that give advice, talking pearls. I don’t have much experience writing this sort of thing, but I do love it.

Some examples of the Fairytale fantasy sub genre are Uprooted by Naomi Novik, Deerskin by Robin McKinley and Red as Blood by Tanith Lee.

Fantasy of Manners

Alright, this one’s a little confusing. A fantasy of manners is sort of like a Rodney Dangerfield movie. A character threatening or going against a set of rules or expectations in a certain society, for a satirical look at the situation.

The first example that comes to mind is A Yankee in King Arthur’s Court by Mark Twain. (Did I need to mention that? I assume if you’re reading my blog you know who wrote A Yankee in King Arthur’s Court.) Another good example is Witches Abroad by Terry Pratchett. I would even argue that the first Fantastic Beasts movie had some strong elements of this sub genre.

Heroic Fantasy

Heroic fantasies are kind of exactly what I think of when I think of the fantasy genre. A hero travels the land, defeating monsters and saving the world. Heavily character driven, with a great and powerful person kicking ass. It’s swords and demons and everything that makes for a great, thrilling read. I would say Woven falls into this category, but not so much as the new trilogy, the Coinkeeper’s Saga.

Some examples that aren’t mine are The Lord of The Rings by JR Tolkien, The Name of The Wind by Patrick Rothfuss (Personal note: I didn’t like this but I’m like the only one who didn’t.) and Song of Ice and Fire by George RR Martin. I told you, it’s exactly what people think of when they think of fantasy.

High fantasy

This is also known as epic fantasy, and really similar to heroic fantasy. It’s the story of an epic battle between good and evil on a grand scale. This is no Spiderman saving Manhattan. This is The Avengers taking on Thanos. I would argue that a high fantasy story is more plot driven than character driven.

Some examples of high fantasy series are the Mystborn series by Brandon Sanderson, Wheel of Time by Robert Jordan and The Chronicles of Narnia by CS Lewis. I assume I don’t need to tell you that Sanderson is my favorite fantasy author, Jordan is my husband’s, and CS Lewis is our favorite author all together.

Historical fantasy

Historical fantasy is similar to alternate historical fantasy. They both deal with adding fantasy elements to one specific time in history. The big difference is that where in alternate historical fantasy we’re dealing with a story that ends differently, historical fantasy keeps everything just the same, it’s just that now there’s magic. This is another sub genre that I want to explore.

Some examples of historical fantasy are The Golum and the Jinni by Helene Wecker and The City of Brass by SA Chakraborty.

Well, that’s it for part two. Stay tuned next week for part three and four.

In Devon’s world, magical work is as common as turning a pot or fletching an arrow. What isn’t common is a man with thread magic. When Devon finds that he is a seer, weaving prophetic tapestries, his family tries to keep it a secret.

But the family can’t hide Devon’s visions after he predicts a devastating plague in the dragon lands of Coveline. He travels there to help the dragon queen save her people.

Meanwhile, Devon’s sister Lenore joins the Church of Singular Light. As Lenore learns to serve, and falls in love with her city, she discovers a dark underbelly to the church.

Lenore fights for her city, and Devon rushes to find a cure to the plague, while an unseen enemy raises an army to destroy Septa from within.

Enter the world of Woven on Amazon or Smashwords

Every time I do one of these posts, I end up adding twenty books to my Goodreads page. Oh well, worse problems to have I guess.

I did a series of posts a few months back about Science Fiction subgenres. It was fairly popular, and I had a good time writing it. I learned a lot, got some great story ideas, and found out about books I really really want to read.

So I decided to do it again, this time with Fantasy sub-genres. Once again, all of my research was done on a website called Worlds Without End. Go check them out.

Alternate History

I read this description, and like seventeen story ideas just popped into my head. I want to do a whole novella series about the war of the roses, but with magic. (Yeah, like Woven isn’t already that.)

Alternate History is a Fantasy subgenre where you take a historical instance, and re-imagine what it would be like with magic. How amazing is that? I cannot wait to start writing some of these.

Some examples of Alternate History Fantasy books are Wild Cards, an anthology series edited by George RR Martin and Melinda M. Snodgrass, His Majesty’s Dragon by Naomi Novik and The Moon and Sun, by Vonda N. McIntyre.

Comic Fantasy

Fantasy tends to be very serious. Comic fantasy, not so much. It’s all about a lighter and much funnier look at dragons and magic. I wish I could write this, but I’m only funny in small doses. I’ve got a tight five stand up routine at best.

Some great examples of Comic fantasy books are The Lust Lizard of Melancholy Cove by Christopher Moore, Abraham Lincoln, Vampire Hunter by Seth Grahame-Smith, and of course literally everything Terry Pratchett has ever written.

Contemporary Fantasy

This is a sub-genre I’ll be dealing with eventually. (I have a fourteen book plan for the Woven universe. The last one will be a contemporary fantasy book.)

A contemporary fantasy book is one that takes place in modern times, with magic built into the corners of our world, going largely unnoticed by the rest of the world. I think people love this one because there’s not enough magic in the real world. There are plenty of monsters, but not near enough heroes.

Probably the most popular example of Contemporary Fantasy is the Harry Potter series by JK Rowling. Another few examples are Spiderwick Chronicles by Tony DiTerlizzi and Holly Black and Neverwhere by Neil Gaiman.

Dark Fantasy

I would consider my upcoming series, The Coinkeeper Chronicles, a dark fantasy. Dark fantasy stories deal with horrifying monsters, in a fantasy setting. And they are really fun to write, by the way. You’d think that a werewolf wouldn’t be so threatening when you have magic on your side. But then you’ve got demons and haunted insane asylums. Magic can only do so much about those.

Some examples of Dark Fantasy books are Coraline by Neil Gaiman, The Dark Tower series by Stephen King, and the Miss Peregrin’s series by Ransom Riggs.

Erotic Fantasy

Okay, we’re all adults here. I think we can guess what erotic fantasy is. No, I don’t write it. No, I don’t intend to write it. I don’t look down on people who do it, I’m just not that kind of writer.

Some examples of erotic fantasy are The Sleeping Beauty Trilogy by Anne Rice, Monster Whisperer by Nobilis Reed, and A Kiss of Shadows by Laurell K. Hamilton.

That’s it for part one. Check out Friday’s post for part two.

Have you read any of these books? What’s your favorite fantasy sub-genre? Let us know in the comments below.

Today I’m continuing my list of my favorite fantasy creature characters. If you missed part one, here’s a link.

The Direwolves from Song of Ice and Fire

I’m not going to sugar coat this. The destruction of the majority of the direwolves is a big reason I stopped liking this series. Kill all the humans, most of them are terrible anyway. But the direwolves! Especially Sansa’s wolf, Lady. I know this was supposed to be some half-wild animal, but I couldn’t help picturing a beautiful, loyal husky. Oh, and that’s the dogs they use in the show. Oh, and the actress who plays Sansa adopted the dog who plays Lady. The direwolves are loyal, smart and terrifying. I loved them, and I never really got over their unfair and untimely demise.

Pounce/ Faithful from Tortall

More god than animal, Pounce (or Faithful) is the cat companion for Alana the Lioness and Becca, the Blood Hound. He’s smart, a fierce fighter, and a smart ass. He is a cat, for all that he’s able to speak with people and walk among the stars. And I love him.

The cat from Coraline

Alright, I’m pretty convinced this unnamed cat from Coraline is actually the same character as Faithful (or Pounce.) He’s also a companion for Coraline, even if she doesn’t want him to be. He’s the only person able to move from the other world to the real world without aid. And he is, again, a cat through and through. At one point he is quite pleased to tell Coraline that the Other Mother can’t keep him out of her world. That he goes where he pleases. That is a cat, even if it’s also a god.

Thimbletack, from Spiderwick Chronicles

This character is a menace, but he has a reason to be. He’s a type of fairy called a brownie, whose job it is to guard the Spiderwick house. But, if you piss him off by, for instance, ripping his house all to bits, he turns into an evil boggart. He’s small and brown and he talks in rhyme. And I love him.

Tock from The Phantom Tollbooth

Tock is a dog full of shame. He is a watchdog, and his job is to make sure that no one wastes time. I could use a Tock in my life to growl and bark after me when I’m being lazy. He’s a brave and noble dog, but here is his secret shame. His name is Tock, but he goes tick tick tick. He has a brother named Tick, who goes tock tock tock. His parents have given up on having any more children, as they couldn’t bear the shame of naming their children so incorrectly.

Falkor from Neverending Story

Of course, Falkor had to be number one on my list. The Neverending Story was my favorite movie as a child, I watched it on repeat some days.

Falkor was huge and fearless. You had the sense that nothing bad could happen when he was there. He was beautiful, and one of my greatest aspirations as a child was to sleep on top of him because he looked so warm and so soft. Falkor was the voice of reason and loyalty, and just a comforting character. I wanted a Falkor in my life. I still do, to be honest.

I’m sure that I missed some terrific fantasy animal and creature companions. If you know of one I missed, please share with the class. Let us know in the comments below. (Preferably with pictures.)

In Devon’s world, magical work is as common as turning a pot or fletching an arrow. What isn’t common is a man with thread magic. When Devon finds that he is a seer, weaving prophetic tapestries, his family tries to keep it a secret.
But the family can’t hide Devon’s visions after he predicts a devastating plague in the dragon lands of Coveline.

Get it on Smashwords and Amazon

Most of the best fantasy stories have about a hundred moving parts that add to the enjoyment of a story. The characters, the magic structure, the world building. All of these things add (or take away) from the core story itself.

A favorite part of any fantasy story for me is the mythical or animal companions that join the main characters along the way. They might be anthropomorphic, and full characters in their own right. They might be just animals, interacting with the characters in the same way that the animals in our world interact with us. They might be demons or other fairy creatures that must be treated with the same (or more) respect that we give our fellow humans. Any way they present themselves, I love them. They’re one of the reasons I keep reading young adult fantasy instead of adult fantasy because there are way more animal companions there.

Here are my top eleven favorite animal or mythical creature companions. I’ve tried not to include more than one character from any one series. I mean, I could probably do a whole post on my favorite Harry Potter non-human characters alone. I should also warn you, there are a lot of cats. Because cats are fantastic and make me smile.

Lucy, from Disenchanted

Lucy is a tiny little dark demon from the wicked fantasy show Disenchanted. He follows his person around, tempting her to do bad things that she really doesn’t need much convincing to do. He’s cute, he’s dark, and he made me squeak the first time I saw him. His character evolves and changes as the first season progresses, which is rare. Also, fun fact, within a week of Disenchanted coming out, people had tattoos of Lucy. Just saying, I’m not the only person in absolute love with him.

Little Bear from Circle of Magic

Little Bear is exactly what you want a dog to be. He’s big, loyal and sweet, and the perfect companion for a group of magic kids who are having a hard time getting used to their wildly new powers. This dog was curious about everything but managed not to rip up any of their crucial mage work. In short, Little Bear is a very good dog.

The rat creatures from Bone

Yes, I am including a comic book character on this list, because Bone is wonderful and comic books are stupidly unappreciated in the literary world.

The rat creatures are big, hissing beasts with long fur and horns that seem to live only to devour good creatures. They’re not that bright, though, so they don’t account for many deaths. The cutest part of the book is when Bone, the main character, finds a baby one.

Chime, from Shatter Glass, Circle Opens

I’m including this character, even though I also included Little Bear. I’m taking advantage of a loophole. Technically Little Bear was introduced during Circle of Magic, where Chime is definitely a character from Circle Opens.

Chime is also a dragon made out of glass, that acts like a poorly behaved puppy and eats everything. It then pukes up either fantastic or horrific things. It screeches at the top of its little glass lungs and scratches at things, people and animals, with its talons. In short, I’d have sent this damn thing to the shelter, but it’s really fun to read about.

The beavers from The Lion, The Witch, and The Wardrobe

The vast majority of the characters from this book are talking animals. But I love the beavers best. They’re sensible and realistic. They think to pack food, sewing things and a fishing line to go to war. They are ready to open their home to some lost kids in the woods, and they ask for nothing in return. They are exactly what I think of when I think of a good person. And I aspire to be as open, as hard-working, and as giving as them.

Crookshanks from Harry Potter

I know, most people love Hedwig the most, but I’m here with the unpopular opinion. He’s sassy, he’s a fighter, and he’s badass. And he doesn’t get nearly enough credit for not only knowing who the bad guy is, and who the good guy is, in the Prisoner of Azkaban. Even after that, he is with the team, being a cat. He’s hunting vermin in the garden and the girl’s dormitory. He’s an ugly, rough cat who loves Hermione right away. While he has no patience for anyone else, he’s always ready to give a purr to his mistress and keep her seat warm.

This is getting a bit long winded, so in the interest of brevity, I’m going to cut this post in half. Stay tuned for part two on Friday.

Happy New Year! Still hung over? I’m not. Though we did head out to Pittsburgh to celebrate First Night. That was an awesome trip, let me tell you.

So, now it’s 2019, and it’s time to start thinking of what we’d like to accomplish in the next 12 months.

No, wait. We need to do something first. Something that a lot of people skip right over in their haste to be a smarter, brighter, more successful person in the next year.

We need to celebrate what we did in 2018 and give ourselves a good healthy pat on the back. Because no matter how you’re feeling, I bet you did a ton in the last year to be proud of!

Let’s sit down with our journals, and chronicle what we should be celebrating about.

Celebrate

What you accomplished. Even if you don’t think it’s a lot, I bet it’s really a lot. Start writing a list of things you did, big or small. Did you remember your aunt’s birthday, for once? Did you survive that damned flu that never seemed to go away? Did you send a scary email you didn’t want to send? Did you go to that party, even if you weren’t sure you really wanted to go? Did you freaking move? Did you start a blog, or write a book? Did you find an awesome new recipe? Write it all down.

The good habits you started. I actually did well with new habits this year. I started the Flylady system, I’m drinking more water. I’m taking a multivitamin and I’m using a treadmill for about fifteen minutes a day.

This one is important because small habits are the hardest things to establish and the best way to improve your overall life. So what new habits did you start?

Anything that was just freaking awesome. These would be things that were just great. A nice vacation, a really good day, an unexpected windfall. Just list the great things that happened today. If you had a hard year, then this list is doubly important. I had a really hard year, but I still managed to make a pretty big list of great things.

Plan

Now that we’ve celebrated what we did in 2018, we have a better idea of what we want to accomplish in 2019. Now, we know what, looking back, we’re most proud of. Ask yourself these questions.

What do you want to accomplish this year? Big or little, write down everything you want to do.

Now, I’m sure you know what happens next. Take all of the things you want to do, pick one, and break it down into actionable items. That makes it far less daunting.

What do you want to do better? Do you want to write better, keep a tidier house? Take better care of yourself, or someone else? What parts of your life is causing you pain? Make a list of anything you’re not in love with.

What do you want to stop doing? We’ve all got bad habits that we want to cut out of our lives. Write down a list of things you want to stop doing. And, write down why you want to stop doing it. Knowing the why is the most powerful tool you have to make sure you actually quit.

What do you want to experience? This is a fun one. Do you want to stay at a bed and breakfast, or go to Florida? Is there maybe just a local festival that you always say you’re going to make time for but you don’t? Life is more than just to do lists. Make plans to actually live this year.

Based on all that, what’s your word of the year? I know this seems a little silly if you’ve never done this, but I can promise you that choosing a word to guide your year is transformative. In 2017, my word was Create. I created a ton of stories, books, and content. It was rather exhausting, but it was great. In 2018, my word was Learn. I learned all sorts of new things in the last year. Some things I didn’t really want to learn about, but that’s life.

For 2019, my word of the year is Brave. I’ve got some personal stuff going on that will require my bravery. But I also have some writing decisions that I’ve been afraid to act on. I need to be brave in 2019. What do you need?

What are you celebrating this year? What do you want to be celebrating next January? Let us know in the comments below.

Deciding To Start contains some of the best blog posts from the first two years of Paper Beats World, updated with new information and new insights. It covers such topics as inspiration to start writing, advice on the tools you need to get started, how to be a writer while also being a full time human being, and inspiration to keep going.

If you are a new writer, trying to find your feet on the path, these essays are intended to lend you a hand and give you a light to help.

Get your copy today

Welcome to New Years Eve. It’s that time to take a look back at the last year and see how far we’ve come. And so, every year I post the most popular posts from the year before we move on to the new year.

These are not necessarily written in 2018. They were simply the ten most read in 2018. If you missed any of these, I hope you enjoy them now.

Keeping a poetry journal

Alright, I get it, I need to write more about poetry.

An open letter to the teacher who told me not to be a writer

You know, I also wrote an open letter to the teacher who inspired me to write. I kind of wish the more positive post had made it onto this list instead. Oh well.

How I messed up my launch and what you can do to avoid it

I think this one was on last years list, too. That’s humbling. Bit easier now that the book is out successfully.

Cut these things out of your day

I’m really glad this one made the list, and I hope that it helped people. There’s so much dumb stuff we fill our days with when we could be doing things we love.

The best movies for storytelling

You guys, movies are awesome. If you want to watch some great movies in January, then here’s a good place to start.

Moving tips from someone who has moved too much

Nothing to do with writing, and only slightly to do with reading. Well, I hope it helped someone. I’m so damned tired of moving.

What is speculative fiction?

I’m so glad everyone was interested in this. I was happy to explain, basically, what I write.

The cons of writing a continuing story

This is something I’m struggling with still. I might be taking a break from Station 86, actually, to write something totally different. Not sure, though, we’ll see.

When to share yourself and when to wear a mask

Again, I’m so glad this one made it on the list. I really work hard on being honest while not over-sharing, and I’m sure this is something that a lot of bloggers struggle with.

Writing dark poetry

Honestly, I worked hard on the prose in this post. I wanted it to resemble a poem, even if it wasn’t one. So the fact that this is the most popular post of the year is awesome!

Now, I have a question for you. What are you most proud of from 2018? What did you do that you just want to shout about? Let us know in the comments below.

It’s that weird week between Christmas and New Years when no one really knows what to do with themselves. It feels silly to try to get back to normal routines when we know it’s just going to be thrown right out the window next Monday and Tuesday. So let’s just spend some time this week eating leftovers, playing with our new gifts, and reflecting on the year we’re about to leave in the rear-view mirror.

Today, I want to share with you the ten best books I read this year. I specifically kept this list to just books that I read new this year. And yes, this list will include some books I talked about in my list of favorite Science Fiction, Fantasy, Horror, and favorite of all time books. So I won’t go on forever about any of them.

Thief’s Magic by Trudi Canavan

Really love the magic structure in this book, and I can’t wait to read the second one.

Norse Mythology, by Neil Gaiman

This was a great book. I don’t want to compare myself to Gaiman (even if we are both fantasy authors. Just saying.) But I am inspired by Norse Mythology in my fantasy work, as I’m sure anyone who’s read any of the Woven series can tell you.

Fear by Bob Woodward

I am kind of a politics junkie, but I don’t often read full-length books about it. Normally it’s just rehashing what I’ve already read and heard about. But getting Woodward’s point of view on the situation was fascinating.

Mistborn by Brandon Sanderson

Again, I’m really surprised I took so long to read this book. I’m glad I did.

Sky Of Stone by Homer Hickham

This was the year I realized that Homer Hickham wrote more books after Rocket Boys. This book was my life for the two days it took me to devour it. This man’s life is fascinating.

The Coalwood Way by Homer Hickham

Everything I said about Rocket Boys and Sky of Stone can be said about this. So instead, let me tell you that Homer Hickham is on Twitter, and he is funny as hell. I love you, Mr. Hickham.

Strange The Dreamer by Laini Taylor

I picked this book up during a book signing and it just sucked me right it. (It was my signing, not Taylor’s.) And, like many good books do, finishing it added more to my to read list than it took away. I can’t wait to get my hands on Muse of Nightmares, and her first trilogy.

Tempest and Slaughter by Tamora Pierce

Pierce is my favorite fantasy author of all time, so I literally had this book on preorder as soon as it was available. And it did not disappoint! It’s set in her Tortall universe, and it’s the story of Numair before he was one of the most powerful mages in the world. When he was just a student named Arram. It’s safe to say this is my favorite book that came out this year.

Neverwhere, by Neil Gaiman

I gushed about this enough in my fantasy list, so I’ll just say that I read this book during a really difficult time this year, and it was a great escape. Fairy tales are meant to be an escape from the real world when the world’s just too dark. I love any book that gives that feeling to me as an adult.

Writing Down The Bones by Natalie Goldberg

First I’m going to say that I didn’t like this book as much as I liked Wild Mind. Then I’m going to point out that it’s still a the top of my list for the year. Once again, Goldberg reminds me why I’m a writer. Any time I’m in a slump, as I was at the start of December after hard rough drafting for two months straight, her words bring me back to the page, back to myself. I want to get a chance to thank her someday.

So that’s it. If you want to follow along with what I’m reading in 2019, when I aspire to not read anything I’ve read before the whole year through, please check me out on Goodreads. And I’d love to hear what your favorite books from 2018 were. Let us know in the comments below.

In Devon’s world, magical work is as common as turning a pot or fletching an arrow. What isn’t common is a man with thread magic. When Devon finds that he is a seer, weaving prophetic tapestries, his family tries to keep it a secret.

But the family can’t hide Devon’s visions after he predicts a devastating plague in the dragon lands of Coveline. He travels there to help the dragon queen save her people.

Meanwhile, Devon’s sister Lenore joins the Church of Singular Light. As Lenore learns to serve, and falls in love with her city, she discovers a dark underbelly to the church.

Lenore fights for her city, and Devon rushes to find a cure to the plague, while an unseen enemy raises an army to destroy Septa from within.

Get Broken Patterns today, and enter the world of Woven.

By this point, I’ve gone over my favorite horror, fantasy and science fiction books. It shouldn’t surprise anyone that those lists were big. I’m a speculative fiction writer, so of course, I’ve read deeply in those genres.

But they’re not all the genres I’ve read. And their certainly not all the genres I love.

Today I’ve collected my top ten favorite books that I’ve ever read that don’t fit properly into any of the speculative fiction genres. Here you’ll find a hodgepodge of books from historical fiction to autobiographies. As always, these are just my favorites, not necessarily the best books of all time.

Yes, Please, by Amy Pohler

I did a whole review of this book, so I won’t go into too much detail. I love this book, and by extension, I’ve come to love Amy Pohler as a genuinely kind person to her core. She’s hilarious, and there’s not a cruel bone in her body. I want to be like her, and I want to live in a world where more women want to be like her.

On Writing, by Stephen King

Did King make it onto all of my lists? I think he’s on all of my lists. Guess there’s something to be said for being a filthy Pantser.

I’ve mentioned On Writing a lot, so I won’t go into it. Suffice to say that if you’re a writer, or if you want to be, you need to read this book.

Wild Mind, by Natalie Goldberg

I actually wrote a whole post about Natalie Goldberg and Stephen King, but let me say a few words about Wild Mind. More than Writing Down The Bones. More than Thunder and Lighting. Wild Mind made me feel inspired to write and know that I was creating art in the purest sense of the word. Wild Mind made me want to move to the desert and live in a studio apartment and live off ramen and toast cooked in eggs just so I can focus my whole life on writing. I could read this book over and over, and never grow tired of it.

A Series of Unfortunate Events by Lemony Snicket

This is such a great story. I didn’t find these books until I was an adult, but I still loved them. The story is so dark but so hopeful. It’s just simply fun to read. And the show on Netflix, by the way, is stellar. It does such a good job of staying true to the story while adding little details that make it so much better.

Rocket Boys by Homer ‘Sonny’ Hickham Jr

Again, here’s a link to the full review I did on this book. If you’ve ever seen the movie October Skies, this is the book it’s based on. And it is so worth the read.

Hickham has such a great voice, and he’s written a ton of books. But he’s written about his hometown of Coalwood best. I’m just sucked into the world. Maybe it’s because I’m also from a mountain town, though mine is steel, not coal. Maybe because I know what it is to grow up in a hard, cold town that doesn’t care about me and my paltry dreams. Whatever it is, I love this book.

The Constant Princess by Philippa Gregory

I’ve got a thing about historical fiction, told from the point of view of women. I love the details about food, clothes and interpersonal relationships. I especially love anything to do with midlevel England. The Constant Princess is about Queen Catherine, who was born Princess Catalina of Spain. That would be Queen Isabella of Spain’s daughter. You know, the queen who financed Christopher Columbus’s trip to discover America. And the bloody queen who led the Spanish Inquisition. So, kind of a mixed bag. She sent her youngest and possibly best-loved child to marry the prince of England. And she did, and she loved him dearly.

Then, he died young. So she fought for years and years to marry his younger brother so that she could still be the queen of England that her mother wanted her to be. Of course, that young man was Henry the VIII. If you know your history, I’m sure you know that her story wasn’t a great one. But it made for a great read.

A Christmas Carol by Charles Dickens

I know it’s a Christmas book, why can’t it be one of my favorites? Dickens is an artist in the highest degree. This story is a masterpiece, pure and simple. And while I love many of the movies based on it, there’s nothing that can compare.

The Giver by Lois Lowry

I think I’ve mentioned that I read this book every year on my birthday. I do this because I never, ever, want to forget how important freedom is. How important choice is. And how easily we can give those things up to feel safe. To feel like someone is looking out for us. This book asks, what are you willing to give up to sleep in a warm bed and have enough food to eat.

Every year I read it, and every year a different line just jumps from the page as exactly what I needed to hear that year. There’s no wonder why it won all of the awards.

The Phantom Tollbooth

I’m willing to say this book is a huge reason why I love books, and why I am generally who I am. It’s about a boy name Milo who doesn’t really care about anything. Nothing interests him. Until a phantom toolbooth shows up in his room, and he goes on an adventure with at watch dog named Tock who goes tick and a Humbug. Listen, I don’t care how old you are. If you haven’t read this book, go read it right now. If you have read it, read it again!

To Kill a Mockingbird

Finally, yes, To Kill a Mockingbird is my favorite book. From it’s message to it’s writing, it is a masterpiece. It is an eye opening, heart wrenching book. It’s one that should be read by everyone, if only because you cannot see the world the same way after reading it.

So that’s it. Those are my top ten favorite books of all time.What are your favorites? Let us know in the comments below.

Station 86 is shocked when a Khloe assassin begins killing members of the all powerful council. Officer Sennett Montgomery and Councilman Godfrey Anders swear to find the assassin after Godfrey’s wife is falsely accused. But the killer, and the council itself, are not what they seem. Neither, as it turns out, is Sennett’s daughter.

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